I have always loved numbers — I was that kid in the back of the classroom solving math problems, using a book with pages torn out. Immigrating from the Dominican Republic at the age of nine and not knowing English was difficult. This heightened my love and passion for math and it became the only language I understood when English failed me. Math strengthened me in many ways and allowed me to believe in my education and my capabilities again.

In high school I began to feel like I was not challenged enough in my mathematics coursework, I would finish my assignments ahead of my peers and given my desire to learn more I would always ask for additional questions or topics. Since I was a curious student in a caring and nurturing high school, I was comfortable asking my principal, “Why don’t we have harder math?” She responded that advanced mathematics could not be added to the schedule because students were unprepared to take advanced math and the school couldn’t afford to hire qualified teachers. I admire how open and honest my principal was with me then, but I was left wondering what needed to change so that an advanced math classes could be added to the schedule.

Each year, schools create a master schedule that includes the time, sequence, location, and length of classes and defines the overall organization of students’ and staff’s time. Historically, schools have taken a technical approach to master scheduling, focusing on simply ensuring that the school day runs smoothly without considering how these master schedules affect their students — often leading students of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities into lower-level course pathways, as a result, denying students of color across the country access to advanced coursework like I was.

The way schools and districts have approached master scheduling has not changed much over the years. A report by Abl found that 72% of secondary schools still operate on a traditional five to eight period bell schedule, as they have for decades. Therefore, several organizations, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals, have advocated for a more strategic and equity-oriented approach to master scheduling. An equity-focused strategic master schedule can be used to increase access to advanced courses and desegregate learning environments by intentionally re-thinking classes offered, course selections, and staffing needs.

The Abl report also urges a shift in the power of who makes the decision and whose voices are at the table when crafting the master schedule. The report found that educators and administrators had competing demands and highlighted limited opportunities to plan, collaborate, and meet the needs of every student.

Instead, schools should increase opportunities for these conversations to occur. For example, districts that include student voices and take a strategic and equitable approach to master schedules, like San Diego Unified, saw positive changes. As a result of strategic and equitable master schedule planning, the number of Black and Latino students enrolled in advanced courses increased. This inclusion of student voices makes students feel empowered and valued within their education system. The Institute of Education Sciences asserts that student voices can increase the educational access, opportunities, and success of marginalized students in their K-12 educational journey. Incorporating student voices in the master scheduling process requires consistent feedback through surveys, interviews or focus groups.

Aside from the research, I wanted to hear how teachers, administrators, and faculty are thinking about advanced courses’ role in master schedules. In discussions with these educators, they told me that recognizing who holds the power to decide which students take advanced courses is a big challenge alongside staffing, retaining staff, and teacher preparation. A senior director of academics & instruction in Missouri said, “Our situation is dire with finding strong STEM teachers at the high school level…to be honest; we cut AP stats off and on. Some years we had it and some we can’t find a teacher to teach it, so instead of winging it, we had to cut it because it’s such an important subject and content that just putting anyone in there is not okay.”

For students like me who attended underserved high schools, an equity-driven master schedule could increase the number of Black and Latino children in advanced mathematics courses. By intentionally crafting a schedule to break down barriers for students of color in accessing advanced coursework, we can also shift the culture in schools and send signals to students that administrators and their communities believe in their potential to be successful in these courses.